Get the 411 on Atlanta’s dining scene, including restaurant openings and closings, need-to-know industry intel, and upcoming food events to attend, via Rough Draft’s “Quick Bites” news roundup, published every Thursday at 6:30 a.m.
Restaurant Openings
Side Quest, a Viet-Lao food collaboration between bartender Nik Soukavong and Cynthia Hoang, launched in July above Pisces in the Old Fourth Ward. Operating Sunday and Monday evenings from 4-9 p.m., expect dishes like Vietnamese-spiced fried quail with a five-spice dipping sauce, cheesy crab toast, and conch poached in ginger sauce. Cocktails incorporate spirits like soju and cachaça and ingredients like mango, fermented melon, and pandan. Side Quest is walk-in only, but features a wait list system that contacts you when a table becomes available during busy service periods. Peek the menu here.
The third location of soft serve ice cream shop Big Softie, from Little Tart Bakeshop owner Sarah O’Brien, opened beside 3 Parks Wine Shop and the Forth Hotel in the Old Fourth Ward. Located on North Angier Avenue, Big Softie becomes the latest addition to the New City development along the Eastside Beltline. The owners of Lucian Books and Wine will open Sargent next year beside the soft serve window.
Coming Attractions
The owners of Savi Provisions will open Azalea Fresh Market in downtown Atlanta on Aug. 28. Located in the former Walgreens building across from Woodruff Park, the market also includes a kiosk location of Atlanta-based Dope Coffee.
All-you-can-eat, Japanese-style yakiniku barbecue restaurant Chubby Cattle BBQ (pictured) will open its second Metro Atlanta location by the end of August. Located on Ashford-Dunwoody Road near Perimeter Mall, expect Japanese A5 Wagyu and American and Australian Wagyu among the meat options for the tabletop grills, along with sushi and seafood selections. Chubby Cattle also includes a location in Duluth.
The Beltline location of Northern China Eatery also opens this month in the Shoppes at Citizen building along the Eastside Trail. The original location of Northern China Eatery on Buford Highway has long been a popular spot for dumplings in Metro Atlanta. Owner Fan Zhang also opened The Dumpling Factory last summer at Westside Paper on West Marietta Street.
News to Know
Aria is now open on Mondays in Buckhead, and it received a little facelift. The James Beard-nominated fine dining restaurant serves dinner six days a week and features specials and events earlier in the week. ICYMI, Aria is sporting a new look outside with a fresh coat of paint that also includes a new Benjamin Moore color called Newburyport Blue.
Add to Your Calendar
Speaking of award-winning restaurants, Gigi’s Italian Kitchen in Candler Park turns three this month. To mark the milestone, Gigi’s will host a street market featuring food, drinks, artist stalls, and live music on Aug. 17 from 2-6 p.m. No regular dinner service that night, so plan accordingly.
Head to the Atlanta Botanical Garden on Aug. 18 from 6-9 p.m. for an evening celebrating local farms, urban agriculture, and hyperlocal food. The Aglanta Eats: Neighbors + Flavors event will include food from several Atlanta chefs and pop-ups, along with drinks and live music and a chance to stroll the gardens after hours, including the current Alice’s Wonderland and Enchanted Trees by Poetic Kinetics displays. Tickets start at $60 per person.